City Commission reports on fiscal year budget

The Ennis City Commission reviewed the summary of the September budget report when they met in regular session Monday night and were pleased with the way the year ended.
The monthly report, which is also the end of the fiscal year for the city, showed that with 100 percent of the budget year elapsed, 102.27 percent of the general fund revenues had been collected and general fund expenditures totaled only 91.9 percent of the annual budget. City manager Steve Howerton explained the final totals to the commission.
“We should be in a good position for next year’s budget because we tried to control expenditures with the last budget,” he said. “Cities all over the nation are seeing huge shortfalls because of the decline in the economy and the housing market, which causes a reduced tax base. We are hopeful that there will not be a huge decline in the state of Texas because of the effect it could have on next year’s tax revenue.”
Commissioners also approved a joint boundary line and extraterritorial jurisdiction agreement between the Ennis and the city of Palmer. The agreement will see the de-annexation of 523.44 acres of land that will create a 12-15 mile addition to the Ennis city limits. The tract of land that will be de-annexed is property that was originally intended to house the East campus of the Super Conducting Collider. Since that project was abandoned in the early 1990s, de-annexing the land would allow the city of Ennis to add the 12-15 mile addition to the city limits. The agreement allows for Palmer to annex all property north of the agreed boundary if they choose and for Ennis to annex all property south of the boundary (except the agreed area for Garrett and Waxahachie) if they choose. Ennis already has agreements with the City of Garrett and the City of Waxahachie that establish boundaries between Ennis and those cities.
The agreement will create a nine-mile common corporate boundary between the two cities and Howerton said the agreement has been a year in the making.
“Both cities have been working on this agreement for about a year, which is great because it gives both of us the time to plan for the addition and the inevitability of extending utilities and services to the area,” he said.
Commissioners were also informed of the possibility of an inter-local agreement between the city and the Ennis ISD to share in the cost for reconstruction or overlay of Caesar St. Howerton explained the city would manage the project but that the two entities would split the cost of the project. Mayor Russell Thomas recommended the Commission consider this arrangement if it were to officially come before them.
“I am grateful that Ennis ISD saw the need for this issue and wanted to partner with us,” he said. “I recommend we look further into this arrangement.”
In other action items:
• The commissioners voted to accept bids for miscellaneous utility materials and street materials.
• Agreed to allow the city manager to continue contract negotiations with a potential buyer for the old Ennis Regional Medical Center.
• Approved a public facilities use permit requested by the Ennis Chamber of Commerce for the annual Christmas parade.
In commissioner roundtable discussions just prior to the adjournment of the meeting, Commissioner Lola Searcy addressed the audience and the commission in regards to anonymous e-mails she has received regarding issues in relation to the city.
&#34;I have no problem with people voicing their opinions and concerns and if they did it in front of the Commission or even signed their name to these e-mails, I’d appreciate it,&#34; she said. “However, since they do not, I’d ask that whoever is sending them to stop until they can sign their name to them.&#34;
The Ennis City Commission meets in regular session at 7 p.m. the first and third Monday of the month at City Commission Chambers. The commission holds a workshop prior to the meetings at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend both meetings.

Comments

comments

Posted by publisher
on Oct 22 2008. Filed under News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Copyright: All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Ennis Daily News content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Ennis Daily News. Ennis Daily News and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Ellis County Newspapers, Inc.